The distinct ambiance of the Emily Resort Hotel through the eyes of Ukrainian photographer Yevhenii Avramenko

I have been following Yevhenii Avramenko’s work for a long time. I am delighted with his view of the spaces he photographs. Each photo shoot, regardless of the architect, is imbued with the atmosphere and style inherent in this photographer. The color, soft contrast, and unsurpassed work with natural light create a poetic image, turning simple design documentation into a reflection of the story that permeates the interior.

Looking through Yevhenii’s photos, I was impressed by his ability to capture the essence of the context behind the image of the Grand Emily Hotel by YOD Design, located in the Lviv region of Ukraine.

The photographs, with their authentic textures and materials, showcase the hotel’s modern yet natural design and its commitment to a terroir design approach, reflecting the organic nature of the location.

The first thing that struck me about Yevhenii’s photographs was his unique lighting to emphasize the hotel’s design elements. The photos show the interplay between the hotel’s natural and artificial lighting, which creates a warm, cozy atmosphere. His attention to detail is evident in how he captures the subtle nuances of the hotel’s lighting and its impact on the space.

Yevhenii shares his experience in choosing the right time to shoot to reveal the architects’ intentions fully:

“The Emily project was shot in May-June when the sunny days are long, and the sun is very active. This helped to reveal the volume of the space better and show a good combination of natural light and very well-designed artificial light from the design studio. The play of shadows, reflexes of materials, and nuanced light all create a calm, discreet mood, which I had to emphasize in this shoot.
Usually, my priority is to shoot only with daylight and only a little evening light in certain areas. Still, the Emily project has a lot of beautiful cozy solutions with light, which created a surprisingly atmospheric image of the project.”

The photos also emphasize Grand Emily’s commitment to using natural materials and creating a space that blends seamlessly with the environment. This a great demonstration of the hotel’s use of natural wood and stone, which are used to create a warm, cozy atmosphere. The natural textures and colors of the materials are emphasized by the incredible attention to close-ups that capture the details of the hotel’s design.

“The scale of the project and the thoughtfulness impressed me. Many elements have their history and meaning. YOD studio is known for this. Therefore, I was responsible for revealing this project well in the photo. Graphic, restrained, good combinations of materials, accents where necessary, and calmness are obvious throughout the interior and therefore played well when creating compositions in the frame. The contrast of light, shadows, and materials creates a certain theatrical drama in this project, which I tried to convey in the photo. And the large volumes of wood, stone, and calm colors created the impression that you were shooting not the interior but nature, which was interesting. I like that” Yevhenii said.

One of the most striking design elements of the Grand Emily Hotel is the central installation of sycamore trees in the hotel’s atrium. Yevhenii’s photographs convey the emotional experience of relaxing on the round leather pouf in the lobby and contemplating the tree from under its roots.

As a symbol of the ancestral tree of life, family, and masculinity in Ukrainian culture, the sycamore tree is a central element of the Grand Emily’s design, and Yevhenii perfectly captures its majesty.

The photos also demonstrate the hotel’s commitment to creating a natural and welcoming space. The use of moving grooves to create a unique pattern on the wall covering the hotel lobby indicates the hotel’s commitment to creating a beautiful and functional environment.

Yevhenii tells, “When planning the shooting, the emphasis was on showing the project’s scale and capturing its details, which are very important in this story. The goal was to capture the interaction of sunlight penetrating the space during the day and the atmosphere already created by lighting techniques at night.”

I like to capture the excellent contrast between the majestic, dark, and mysterious atmosphere of the central hall and the mood of the restaurant and outdoor terrace filled with a sense of lightness, light, and life, which, thanks to the living trees and plants, smoothly transfers to a completely different plane of sensations.

Yevhenii allows us to feel the beauty and atmosphere of the Grand Emily Hotel design, which absorbs us into its world. I admire Yevhen’s talent for conveying images and emotions created by color and light and the ability to lead the viewer from frame to frame without going beyond the context.

This again proves that photography is an art that can convey the beauty and the essence of an object or space. I thank Yevhenii for the beautiful photos and the opportunity to introduce his work to our readers 🙂

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